Although it’s her second time being selected to perform at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Jillian Brennan is still just as excited and nervous as she was the first time.

“I am going to make sure I can focus on the challenges I faced the first time this time,” said Brennan, a Howell High School junior.

Brennan, along with Maggie Grace and Megan Kramer — also students at Howell High School — will perform May 9 with the Michigan School Vocal Music Association’s choir during the closing ceremonies of its annual festival to showcase youth artists in Michigan. The festival will take place May 7-9 at Western Michigan University. The event is a joint effort with the Michigan Youth Arts organization.

Each student was selected for the choir after performing with the MSVMA regional and state honors choir this year.

“This is important for students who are serious about music because it gives them the experience and exposure they need at a young age,” said Tom Gould, Howell Public Schools public relations director.

In order to advance, students must audition and participate in a series of workshops to advance to the next performance.

While the festival is not a competition, the students challenge and push themselves to become better.

“It’s a super-cool experience because there are a ton of committed singers who want to perform and want to be able to sing,” Brennan said. “You are surrounded by all these people that push you to do your best.”

The festival features a variety of art forms, including workshops and master classes for students.

There will be more than 20 student performances and exhibitions, all of which will be open to the public.

Michigan Youth Arts is an alliance for 16 statewide education associations that work together to develop high-quality arts education programming, recognize the contributions of valuable teachers, and provide advocacy resources for parents and educators.

Brennan said she enjoys participating in the festival because it gives her an opportunity to see other talent in the area.

“I work with amazing singers at school every day, and I’m thankful for that, but it’s nice to see what else is out there,” Brennan said. “Everyone at this festival is so heavily involved in music that we instantly form a family and bond that we share together.”